New Delhi: In Pakistan, a pet lion’s rampage went global, sparked outrage, and led to a fierce crackdown on those keeping big cats illegally. It began after a viral video Saturday showed a lion escaping captivity and attacking a woman and her two children in a residential area in Lahore.
The lion attacked the woman and her five and seven-year-old children as panic-stricken people ran for their lives. The children’s father later told police that the lion’s owners stood by as the attack unfolded, making no attempt to stop the animal.
The footage quickly spread across social media, igniting national outrage and prompting swift action from the authorities. By Sunday, police had arrested the lion’s owners on charges of negligence and unlawful possession of a wild animal. The lion has since been transferred to a wildlife park.
The father of the injured said in the report that the owners, who ran out of the house, appeared “amused” as their lion attacked passersby.
Pakistanis are not even remotely amused.
“Lahori elites are retarded,” one Pakistani X user wrote bluntly.“Why would you keep such an animal in an urban environment?”
Another user, Faiz, joked darkly, “If you’re going to keep a cat, keep a real cat.”
In parts of Pakistan — particularly the Punjab province — keeping exotic animals like lions, cheetahs, and tigers has long been a display of wealth and status. Wealthy elites showcase their animals in TikTok videos and wedding celebrations. A lion can be registered legally for a one-time fee of PKR 50,000, BBC reported.
But the law is clear: these animals must be kept outside city limits, in facilities that meet strict safety requirements. In reality, enforcement has been lax, as per reports.
Lions and laws
Following the Lahore attack, the provincial government launched a sweeping crackdown on illegal wildlife possession. Officials have inspected 22 locations, seized 13 lions, arrested five people, and registered multiple criminal cases, a Dawn report stated.
“This is a zero-tolerance operation,” Punjab’s Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said in a statement, adding that “the illegal trade of wildlife is intolerable and there will be no compromise on public safety.”
In Lahore alone, four lions were seized, four individuals arrested, and one property sealed. Similar raids took place in Gujranwala, Faisalabad, and Multan, where lions were also confiscated and legal proceedings initiated.
A video released by the Punjab Chief Minister, Maryam Nawaz’s social media team, also showed a video of a rescued leopard. “The law is equal for everyone,” the statement from the provincial government read. “No exceptions will be made.”
Also read: Maryam Nawaz brings new law to control publicity campaigns. Pakistanis call it ‘peak fascism’
Repeat offence
In December 2024, a lion roamed free through a different neighbourhood of Lahore before being shot dead by a security guard. The incident led to new provincial laws regulating the sale, breeding, and ownership of big cats. Licenses became mandatory. Lion farms had to be located on plots of at least 10 acres. But enforcement lagged, and illegal ownership persisted behind the walls of Lahore’s sprawling private homes.
Earlier this year, YouTube star Rajab Butt, who received a lion cub as a wedding gift, was ordered by a court to create 12 animal welfare content as punishment for illegal possession.
One X user summed up the chaos and the confusion in Pakistan: “Lion? Pet??? Crazy place.